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Asima Vezina will juggle administrative duties with completing a PhD

New Algoma University president Asima Vezina most recently served three years as AU board of governors chair, as well as in other prime regional education posts, including provincial lead within the Ministry of Education’s student achievement division.

Algoma University is hardly foreign territory to Asima Vezina.
The former Algoma District School Board superintendent of education most recently served three years as AU board of governors chair, as well as in other prime regional education posts, including provincial lead within the Ministry of Education’s student achievement division.
Such affiliations, she says, will help her hit the ground running when she becomes Algoma’s president and vice-chancellor Oct. 23.
“I felt that I could make a bigger difference working in the role of the president,” Vezina told The Sault Star in an interview.
She resigned from the board when the school began combing for a full-time leader; former president Celia Ross has served as acting head since late 2016 upon the sudden resignation of Craig Chamberlin.
Vezina said she has received solid responses from community leaders and “folks in the university” since the announcement was made earlier this week.
“Already having established strong relationships with community partners … it’s been part of my beliefs and part of my values as a leader in this community to have strong relations with other stakeholders,” she added.
Following what AU bills as a “rigorous six-month nation-wide search process,” Vezina was the unanimous “top choice” of the school’s search committee.
AU sought a leader, said Melanie Muncaster, board of governors vice-chair, with a “strong passion” for education and a good grasp of the school’s “special mission to cultivate cross-cultural learning” between the Aboriginal community and other groups, such as international students.
“The role requires a leader who understands the unique needs of Northern Ontario and our local communities, and who has a proven ability to bring people together toward a common vision,” Muncaster said.
Vezina, on a five-year contract with AU, said her most recent position with the province has helped provide a “nice network group” as well as afford an inside look at government procedure and provincial “priorities.”
“(The job) just put me in a nice position to advocate for Northern Ontario and for Algoma University, and just to understand the inner workings of government and how we can position the university to be able to reach some of the benefits of that,” she added.
Algoma reported earlier this year that a boost in international student numbers and a new recruiting partner were both expected to help the school shoulder fewer potential recruits from Sault Ste. Marie and area high schools.
Algoma had 71 international students enrolled for 2016-2017, up 37 per cent from 52 in 2015-2016. Most were from China (20), United States (11) and Bangladesh (6).
The school expected the number recruited from countries, such as Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India, to grow.
AU’s five-year enrolment forecast anticipates international numbers will keep growing to 88 in 2017-2018, 103 in 2018-2019, 120 in 2019-2020 and 131 in 2020-2021.
It projected small growth in the number of domestic students from outside the district in September followed by "a little bit more rapid growth" in 2018.
The post-secondary institution also shifted marketing dollars and high school visits from smaller communities in eastern and southwestern Ontario to fairs in the Greater Toronto Area. In its bid to recruit students to its Queen Street East campus, AU also recently tweaked its website to focus more on the strength of its academic programs and the “uniqueness of the people and the space.”
Vezina said strategic enrolment will be a “key priority” under her leadership, along with the “vibrant programming” component of the school’ strategic plan.
“So, really thinking deeply about the programs that are aligned with student expectations and what students are asking for,” she added.
Another “key area,” Vezina said, is the Anishinabe population and “how we can really support our Indigenous learners as we see more and more students coming on to campus.”
Chamberlin’s resignation — few details were provided at the time — came 18 months after he succeeded Richard Myers, who did not seek a renewal to his five-year term, which ended in 2015.
These events didn’t send up red flags, said Vezina, adding her board position afforded ample opportunity to see “how much strength” the school has, especially with its “strong” strategic plan and the “very innovative and creative” thinking behind it.
“I think we’re just in such an opportune time to move some things forward that may not have been available,” she said.
Vezina, raised in the Sault Ste. Marie area, holds a master’s degree in educational leadership and is currently completing a PhD at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, through its department of leadership, higher and adult education.
“I thrive on being busy and the leadership work that I’m doing, and the PhD, will be aligned nicely with the work of Algoma University,” she said.
“I look forward to learning alongside the stakeholders in the university and just really helping to do what I can as the leader to implement a pretty exciting vision.”
jougler@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @JeffreyOugler